Thought Process
by Sonowa
Summary: It's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose. A look into the last moments of a TDA episode. One-shot.


**Author's Note: I'd advise not reading this, if you have not watched the episode of Total Drama Action entitled "2008: A Space Owen" first. This fanfiction will cover events shown in the later half of the episode, leading up towards the finale, and handing out of Gilded Chris awards. So… read if you dare.**

Thought Process

"It's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose…"

She kept telling herself that as she angrily paced through the trailer. Her former partner now immune from elimination, her decision had to be for one of the three male members of the cast.

She disliked making enemies, that fact was known. Any person with any knowledge of who Courtney was could say that. Enemies lead to bitter rivalries, which all but draws a massive target on your back.

That target was the only thing that would keep her away from yet another victory. She was supposed to win these competitions; that was how the game worked! If you can't win, you can't gain invincibility. No invincibility, no Gilded Chris. No Gilded Chris, no shot at a million big ones!

"It's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose…"

Owen, Harold, and Duncan were her choices for elimination. Does one aim for how one performs during competitions? Is it a more personal conflict?

What of the subject of romance? For God's sake, she couldn't eliminate Duncan; she wanted to relive those glory days, where they could openly tease each other for the sake of each person making a vague attempt for hiding emotions.

Emotions. Another target on her back, and another rivalry that could spark from the results. It would be a risky maneuver, certainly; no one would expect the person being voted off to be a love interest. But with a show with the word "drama" sticking out in the middle like a sore thumb, that double-crossing technique would be just the thing.

The aftermath wouldn't be as pleasant, of course. With an anger fueled by the loss of a friggin' spider and a punch that could bring any person to his of her knees, Duncan would not be the happiest massive monster-like being destroying suburban Japan.

She paused for a moment. What was that analogy based off of?

"It's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose…"

Perhaps a meaning brought to us by the ever-chubby Owen. Truly the largest of the players, he was also eliminated earlier; why not toss him out again? He even took the trophy that rightly belonged on her mantelpiece!

Friendship and giving were mere tools to maintain victory. No one would care if some ass in the real world came onto a television show and acted like the greatest and kindest man in existence. They'd be shown in their true form on a later date; look at Chris, for crying out loud! The man acted like a brilliant host, and ended up being just that real-world ass.

But Owen wasn't that ass… save for the quick thinking on the roller coaster. Owen was kind, lovable, like some massive walking teddy bear with an appetite for anything that his eye catches upon. He deserved his place, and his trophy.

However, he still won the previous season, and everyone knew that if the big guy could achieve the victory he wanted, he'd definitely take the million this time, and walk away to engulf an entire cheese cellar with his family of gamblers.

Courtney didn't know why she watched the Aftermath program. Probably to see just how the enemy got themselves eliminated in their own mistakes. Serves them right.

Now, she was down to the last of her options.

"It's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose…"

That cheating numbskull, that mindless idiot that barely beat her out last season, and that imbecilic loser that ruined her good reputation!

And yet, she didn't take her anger out on the nerd this season. Was it a change of heart, or could she no longer afford to pull lampposts out of the ground to beat him to a bloody pulp with?

Perhaps she admired his dark-horse appearance during the challenges, perhaps his slight ego that blinded him from the actual challenges. It could be his quick thinking, his sharp albeit overused wit, his vast array of knowledge.

Or maybe he was a possible alliance partner.

Harold was the one connection that permitted her to oust Leshawna, and knock out another front-runner from the competition. He was always willing, showing with his little smile and highly raised eyebrows that he was up for a task.

"It's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose…"

The theme music for the Gilded Chris awards ceremony began blaring. She sighed, and dragged herself to the ampitheater.

She browsed her options one more time on her voting device.

The delinquent, the chubby guy, the nerd. Their images were constantly scrolling on the screen. She then noticed something about the third option.

Beth was after him.

By taking out him, she would leave that twerp drowning in her own tears. She's already broken up with her imaginary boyfriend, so what else to do but eliminate the contestant she was closest to?

She hated the target, but she loved when it changed its firing patterns.

After all, it's not how you play the game, it's if you either win or lose.

**Concluding Notes: Repetitive phrase, eh? It's meant to be the center of the story, the thought process. See how I got the title in there like that?**

**If any of the story seems for or against certain characters, you're overreacting. I mean, Harold may be my favorite character, but still, I tried to treat him like everyone else.**

**This was written as possible reasoning for the elimination of Harold, though it could be completely off and laughed upon. I suppose we all have our own ways of deciphering these kinds of puzzles.**

**I thank you for reading. Any comments or concerns may be sent via review or PM.**


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